


Wanted

by PerriewinkleNerdie



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:34:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21698563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie
Summary: It's easy to fall and get hurt, and he's there to pick her up. No matter what
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)
Kudos: 28





	Wanted

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello, hello!  
> We can all say a nice ‘thank you’ to Mar and Kait for showing me a prompt list, cause this fic is based on one of them. You can very potentially expect some Christmas-themed fics, but if I will be able to pull them of, that remains to be seen I guess :D  
> Enjoy! <3

Snow was falling from the sky, blinding her as she ran after him, her breathing elevated. Her coat wasn’t giving her the heat she needed in the cool air, her scarf falling off her shoulders, leaving her neck open for the blasts of chill. Her feet were moving faster than ever before in her life, and it still wasn’t fast enough.

“Ethan! Wait- you’re taller than me, dammit, your legs are longer! I can’t walk that fast and you damn well know it!” she shouted after him, trying to get him to slow down or, even better, stop altogether.

They’ve been walking like this since they left the hospital and he decided that instead of a taxi, he would walk. He didn’t have to say anything to let her know that he was annoyed, and while she knew why, he was being ridiculous. She would never say that he acts like a child, but in that moment that was exactly what he was doing.

And all because she didn’t come to him for help.

Claire wasn’t a damsel in distress, she didn’t need saving, but she could ask for help when she needed it. Most of the time, Ethan was the immediate option when she couldn’t handle her problem by herself. He got used to it, used to being helpful, used to being needed by her. After all the time they spent together, in the hospital and outside of it, it put everything in perspective for him, and the more he thought about her, the more he knew that life without her would be an empty one. She was the one he went to when he needed a smile, a laugh, a hug or support. She was always there for him, with her sparkling eyes and wide grin that could light up the whole room. All she had to do was look at him and he was forgetting the world around them even existed.

That day, she was in trouble. Her patient was giving her hell, his behavior toeing the line of being dangerous both for himself and for Claire, interns were reckless, and it was getting too much for her. Not sure how to proceed from the situation, she turned to the first person she stumbled upon, and it just so happened to be Harper Emery. It’s been almost three years since Claire’s trial, and from that point on, their relationship has been getting better and better. Now, they were close friends, able to talk about everything. That’s why she wasn’t afraid to ask for help. If it was any other doctor, she would have had her reservations, but she could trust Harper.

The commotion was over as fast as it started, and by the time noon rolled around, they were leaning on the counter of the nurse’s station, both relieved that the threat was gone, chatting about some intern trouble when Claire’s eyes caught a glimpse of brown mane, right around the corner. She didn’t even have to look closer to know that it was Ethan, her whole body tuned to his presence. He walked closer to them both, touching his hand to Claire’s arm, trailing it downwards to grab her hand, lacing their fingers together.

“Aren’t you two a picture of sweetness. So sweet it makes my teeth hurt, actually.” Harper teased, smirking at Claire. She flashed her a bright smile, turning to her boyfriend, pulling on his hand and wrapping her other arm around him, guiding him into a hug.

“Then it’s a good thing I like sweets. As a matter of fact, now that you’ve mentioned it, I’m seriously craving some chocolate cake, so if you’ll excuse me…” Claire trailed off, dragging Ethan along with her, a sparkle in her eye. He followed her without even blinking, his gaze focused on her.

“After what happened this morning, you definitely deserve it. Have a piece for me while you’re at it.” Harper called out after them, disappearing behind the door to one of the rooms a moment later.

Claire continued walking as she was, completely oblivious to the confusion that took over Ethan’s mind. Harper’s words didn’t make any sense to him, implying that some sort of a situation had occurred earlier that day that he was yet to learn about. Stopping in his tracks, he pulled her to him.

“What did she mean by ‘after what happened this morning’?”

“Oh, um, it’s nothing really, just some trouble with a patient. Nothing we couldn’t handle ourselves, don’t worry.” She bit her lip, obviously hiding something. Suddenly nervous, wanting to change the subject.

“If you wanted to divert my attention, you failed. Now you have to tell me.” He lowered his voice, his hands pressing on her shoulder blades to bring her to him, his eyes filling with worry.

“I had minor-“ she started but was quickly stopped by his gaze, correcting herself. “… some problems with one of my patients. He got… abusive and aggressive, said a couple of things that made me uncomfortable… anyway, Harper helped me, it’s over, you don’t have to worry about me.”

There was a long moment of silence, hanging between them, stopping the time, canceling the reality, even though the whole world around them was very much alive. In any other circumstances, he wouldn’t show as much affection towards her in the public eye, but the situation was making him not think clearly.

“Why didn’t you come to me?” he muttered, hurt coloring his voice. She shook her head, taking a step back to look at him better.

“We had it under control, there was no need for the scary Dr. Ramsey to step in.” she tried joking, but his worried face turned into a scowl. Confusion washed over her, prompting her to walk towards him, only for him to step away, out of her reach.

“And you didn’t think to come and get me? That’s not a light matter, Rookie.” He spoke in an even tone, putting his walls up yet again, pushing her away. Her eyes grew wide, her mouth opening and closing, unsure what to say. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before turning on his heels and walking away, leaving her alone in the hallway.

For the rest of the day, she was trying to get him alone to talk to him, but he was effectively avoiding her. It was driving her mad, because she did know where the issue seemed to be, but she had no real way of knowing what was really bothering him, because he closed himself off yet again. The next opportunity to talk to him she got when she was leaving the hospital for the day. He was walking fast and when he saw her approaching, he sped up, almost running. Anything to avoid talking to her.

“Ethan, seriously, can you slow down so we can talk?” she called out after him, doing her best to catch up with him, the weather conditions and her abilities not making it easier on her.

“I don’t know what there is to talk about.” He threw the words her way, his steps seemingly even faster. She was running after him now, breathing heavily as she struggled not to lose him in the snow that was blurring her vision and not give into the cold that embraced her from every direction.

“Ethan, please, just wait- ah!” she tried again, reaching out for his hand, only to be stopped by a sharp pain in her left ankle.

She stepped crookedly on her ankle, twisting it in an unnatural position, and then slipped on ice, falling to the ground with a sickening sound. She took in a sharp breath, trying her best not to let the tears that gathered in her eyes fall. From what she could tell, this was going to end bad, and she blamed her clumsiness and her clumsiness only for always being there when she didn’t need it.

“Claire, I’m sorry but- Rookie?” Ethan spoke calmly, then turned around, confused by her cry and the silence that followed it. At the sight of her lying there, on the ground, clutching her ankle with both of her hands, her head hanging low, most likely to hide her face, his heart seemingly stopped. As carefully as he could, he ran back to her, falling to his knees to aid her. “Oh god, Claire, what happened?”

“I’m clumsy, you know it. I stepped on my foot the wrong way and slipped on the ice.” She spoke shakily, refusing to look at him. He was mad at her, he didn’t need her to cause them more problems, and she didn’t need his pity. What she needed was an honest conversation with him, and there was no way that was happening now. He put his finger underneath her chin, lifting it to make her look at him. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears, her teeth sunken into her lower lip to keep herself from crying out in pain. He broke a little, piece by piece, as he noticed all the actions she took to keep him from discovering her condition. He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead before picking her up in his arms, carrying her home.

They didn’t say a word to each other on their way to his apartment, apart from his occasional questions, to make sure she was comfortable and that she didn’t need immediate hospitalization. The warmth of his house engulfed them both as he carried her inside, letting her sit on his sofa as he took off her coat and her shoes, softly, not to cause her any more pain. Fetching his first aid kit, he started examining her ankle, his touch soft as he applied gel with medicine in it to soothe the pain, securing her foot to minimize any movement. Again, all in perfect silence.

She was still shaking from the cold that etched itself into her body, refusing to let her warm up. Ethan’s eyes softened at the sight of his other half, looking smaller than ever. A pang of guilt hit him like a ton of bricks, overwhelming him as he realized that at least a part of why she was feeling the way she did was caused by his behavior. With a heavy sigh, he took off his sweater and wrapped her in it, rubbing her arms to help her get warmer. She reclined against the back of the couch, closing her eyes, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

Ethan made his way to the kitchen, going through his cabinets, one by one, searching for what he remembered to be a place he saw Claire put away a bunch of candles. Lighting them, one by one, he placed them around the living room, turning the lights down low. The music, which was playing since they got back home, got to the slower part, just as he stood before her yet again. Without saying a word, he leaned down to pick her up, wrapping his arms securely around her and walking them to the middle of the room. He placed her feet on top of his, careful to support her injured ankle, and started swaying from side to side. Claire circled her arms around his neck, pulling his closer to her, their foreheads touching. A long moment passed before either of them said anything.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, nuzzling her nose against his. His grip on her tightened, his eyes opening to look at her, affection shining in them brightly.

“It’s me who should be sorry. You didn’t deserve the way I treated you today, and because of me, you got hurt. I’m not sure how I’m going to forgive myself for letting that happen.” He muttered under his breath, sorrow filling his tone to the brim. Claire shook her head, leaning up to kiss him softly.

“It’s not your fault. It could have happened to anyone, it just so happened that I’m more prone to accidents than other people.” She tried to laugh, lighten up the mood, but he remained pensive. “It really isn’t your fault, I don’t want you to blame yourself. I do, however, want you to tell me what happened today.”

He kissed her again, holding her as though she was about to disappear, slip right through his fingers. When they separated, he was breathing heavily, refusing to let her get even a slightest bit away from him.

“I guess I got worried. I got so used to us talking about everything, sharing everything with each other, relying on each other that when I heard that you got into a potentially dangerous situation and I wasn’t there to protect you…” he trailed off, closing his eyes and turning his head away from her. She looked at his profile for a short while before reaching with her finger to turn him back around, making him look at her yet again.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel like that. And I didn’t do it on purpose. Harper was simply nearby, and she knew what to do, it wasn’t anything more than that. I promise, if I knew how that would affect you, I would have run to get you.”

She combed her fingers through his hair, smiling at how his expression got softer under her gentle touch. He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers for a sweet moment. She responded immediately, kissing him back with as much energy as he gave her, but before it could get anywhere, he leaned back yet again.

“I didn’t even know it would affect me the way it did. And at first, I didn’t know why I felt like that. It was only when I stopped to actually think about it, that I realized that I felt… useless.” He shrugged, leading them both in a circle, moving slowly and minding their movements only halfheartedly.

“Useless how? Cause you should know that I need you all the time.”

“That’s the thing. I was never that for anyone. There was never a person in my life that needed me like I want you to need me. And until today, I never put much thought to it. Now, I realized that I just want to be wanted. Needed. I want to be loved, the way I love you.”

“I want you. I need you. _I love you._ Don’t you ever forget it, Ethan. You’ve been through so much pain and so much loneliness, you survived it all on your own, but you’re not alone. Not anymore. We’re in this together, and I want you to be happy. I want you to have everything you’ve ever wanted, to live your dreams, to not have a single worry on your shoulders, because that’s what you deserve. You deserve the world, Ethan, and I intend to give it to you.” she whispered, stroking his cheek with love in her eyes.

“You’re the only thing I need.” He muttered before kissing her again, pressing his lips to hers, moving his hands to her lower back, pressing her flush against him. She sighed happily, remaining in his arms as the evening turned into the deep, dark night, and the only thing that mattered to them was being there, together, as the snow fell from the sky.


End file.
